WEBVTT - Spring Training Dodger Talk (3-10-26) 0:00:00.000 --> 0:00:03.519 This a Spring training Dodger Talk. Here we go again. 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.000 We're going to be running back, hosted by Dodger saint 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:07.320 sider David. 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:10.000 Bassi, a Yeah three beat in the Mexican called. 0:00:09.880 --> 0:00:12.840 Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seven, and 0:00:13.000 --> 0:00:16.600 be sure to follow Dodger Talk wherever you catch your podcasts. 0:00:16.760 --> 0:00:19.799 Here's your host, David Bassia. 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:24.320 Welcome to Dodger Talk. David Vasse with you from Camelback 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:28.880 Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. We're with you until eight o'clock 0:00:28.920 --> 0:00:32.200 tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports. It's 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:35.840 one of two Dodger Talks this week. Our next show 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:39.000 is going to be seven o'clock on Thursday night, and 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:41.920 the Dodgers will be playing a game under the lights 0:00:42.000 --> 0:00:44.520 right here at camel Back Ranch that night, so we'll 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:48.040 have Dodger Talk as the game is going on at 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:53.279 seven o'clock this Thursday night. But tonight tonight, we have 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:57.000 a great show for you. We have two big time 0:00:57.120 --> 0:01:00.680 guests that have a lot to say about the Dodgers 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:05.560 coming up in fifteen minutes, Our very own Rick Monday 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:08.720 is going to join us. Rick and Tim Neverett have 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:13.119 been calling and we'll call every single spring training game 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:17.200 on sports net LA and also on the simulcast here 0:01:17.240 --> 0:01:20.560 on a five to seventy LA Sports. So Rick Monday 0:01:20.600 --> 0:01:23.480 will stop by. We'll get his thoughts on what he 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:26.640 has seen from the Dodgers so far this spring training. 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:30.560 And also, in case you weren't aware of this, it 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:35.360 is fifty years ago this season that Rick Monday made 0:01:35.560 --> 0:01:40.080 a great play saving the American flag. Yeah, that's right, 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.840 fifty years ago. Baseball's Hall of Fame is going to 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:47.280 be celebrating it all year long. Major League Baseball is 0:01:47.319 --> 0:01:50.480 going to be celebrating it, and so will the Dodgers. 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:54.080 So Rick Monday is coming up in fifteen minutes, and 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:57.640 at the bottom of the hour, I have lined up 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:01.600 a big time Dodger fan, a man that was at 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:05.640 Dodgers Stadium for Game four the World Series last year. 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:08.760 He was at at Dodger Stadium with his family back 0:02:08.800 --> 0:02:12.200 in May last year. That is the one and only 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:18.160 former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Derek Carr is going to 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.720 join us at the bottom of the hour and he 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:24.520 has an incredible story to tell about a piece of 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:29.239 history from Game six of the World Series in Toronto. 0:02:29.440 --> 0:02:32.120 So looking forward to having Derek Carr on the show. 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.880 He has a new podcast out with his brother David. 0:02:36.320 --> 0:02:40.440 It comes out every Thursday. It's called home Grown. And 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.720 the piece of history that he is going to tell 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:49.359 us about is actually seen in every single episode of Homegrown. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.560 So there's a little tease to what Derek Carr's got 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:55.480 up his sleeve. And I first met Derek Carr back 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:59.680 in twenty nineteen when the Dodgers were up in San Francisco. 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:04.600 The equipment managers for the Dodgers, Alex Torris and Jerry Turner, 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:08.720 lined up for me to go out to Raiders camp 0:03:08.800 --> 0:03:12.000 as they were getting ready for their off season training 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:15.560 program as the Dodgers were coincidentally up there in the 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:17.800 Bay Area, and I got to meet Derek for the 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:21.200 first time, met at the time coach John Gruden. So 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:23.959 that was a great experience, and that was the first 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:28.120 time that I found out that Bakersfield's own Derek Carr 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.919 is a huge Dodger fan. And from that point on 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:36.400 we've kept in some sort of contact. But first time 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:39.440 Derek Carr is going to be on Dodger Talk tonight, 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:42.600 So Rick Monday is coming up at seven point fifteen. 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:46.640 Derek carr is coming up at seven thirty tonight, so 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.400 a loaded show. We may or may not have a 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:51.560 chance to get to your phone calls. We may have 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:54.920 to push that off until Thursday. I'm sure you're very 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:58.000 eager to give me updates about the World Baseball Classic, 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:02.920 but I'm locked in on Dodger Baseball tonight until eight o'clock. 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:06.880 And the Dodgers had two important games going on earlier 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:09.839 today as far as the way their season is going 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:13.640 to lay out this season. You had Tyler Glass now 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:18.560 pitching on the Cactus League field against the Diamondbacks today, 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:22.240 and you had Rogi Sasaki pitching on the White Sox 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:26.160 side in a sort of B game. So both are 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:30.760 important for different reasons. Glass now, to me, has looked 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:34.200 the best mentally and physically that I have seen him 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:38.320 with the Dodgers, and that includes the spring training going 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:43.000 into his really best year in Major League baseball, a 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:45.520 career high twenty two starts. He made the All Star 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:49.159 team two years ago. But his head space, like I 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:52.440 told Petro some money earlier today, just seems to be 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.000 in a better spot than we have seen it since 0:04:56.000 --> 0:04:58.360 he became a Dodger, and a lot of that has 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:02.320 to do with his success and uncomfortable last year and 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.279 being successful coming out of the bullpen in Game six 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:09.880 of the World Series. And today, glass Now's really good 0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:14.200 spring continued as the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks. Glass Now 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.560 pitched four to third innings, allowing just one earned run. 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:20.880 It was actually a leadoff home run to start the game, 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:24.320 but after that he really settled in and was mowing 0:05:24.400 --> 0:05:26.640 down the Diamondbacks. So it was a good day for 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.160 glass Now, a good day for the Dodgers as they 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:33.159 beat Arizona four to one. This morning, I saw Mooki 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:38.160 Betts take out the plastic arrows that he is borrowing 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:43.440 from Yoshi Yamamoto. Yeah, in case you missed that, Mookie 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:47.799 Betts is using the darts that Yama Moto uses between 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:51.000 starts to try to build his core and his throwing 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:54.440 strength without having a throw a baseball. And then in 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:57.560 the game he had two hits. So Mookie Betts is 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:01.000 having a good spring training as well. Le Tucker stayed 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.240 in the game after being hit by a pitch on 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:06.000 his right leg It looked like his shin caf area, 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:10.280 but after the game him and Max Munthsey both reassured 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:12.279 me that he was fined since he stayed in the 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:16.080 game and scored after being hit by the pitch from 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:20.680 first base. So Kyle Tucker AOK with all that. Now, 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:24.160 Roki Sasaki, like I mentioned, he was having a very 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:27.599 important game on the backfield, and Andrew Friedman and the 0:06:27.600 --> 0:06:30.080 rest of the Dodger brass was out there watching that 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:33.599 as Dave Roberts was managing the Cactus League game. And 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:37.800 Dave Roberts said after that Sasaki was thrown about ninety 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:38.880 eight to one hundred. 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:40.480 He got very. 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:46.560 Good positive He got positive reports from Sasaki's game because 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:50.320 Sasaki pitched four scoreless innings against the White Sox and 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:54.680 allowed just one hit. But here's the thing, Blake Snell 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:58.760 is not going to start the season on time. Gavin 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:03.039 Stone has been and shut down to a certain extent 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:07.520 because of the shoulder surgery and him pitching in one 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:10.680 game this spring and all of a sudden the shoulder barking. 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:15.600 So the Dodgers need Roki Sasaki. And I even asked 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:19.280 Dave Roberts earlier today, with the number of days off 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:23.400 the Dodgers have to begin the season, do they have 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:28.400 the luxury of allowing Susak to work out whatever hasn't 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:29.520 clicked so far this. 0:07:29.600 --> 0:07:33.600 Spring, having Blake you know, late to the season, which 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:38.520 we know Gavin Stone late to the season, as we know, 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:41.560 we're gonna need Roki, you know, with the build up, 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:43.640 you know, I just don't see a world where he 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:46.760 doesn't break with us as a starter, and so we're 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:50.360 gonna need those innings. I guess I'm betting on the 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:54.760 performance to be you know, to continue to trend up, 0:07:55.200 --> 0:07:57.800 to be good enough, and to only get better with 0:07:57.920 --> 0:07:59.640 the talent that he has and the work that he's 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:03.520 put in. So you know, I think right now he's 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:06.040 got a I think cup more outings, two, three, more 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:08.680 outings and then you know, we'll see where we go 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:12.200 from there. But still my expectation is that that's where 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:13.520 we're going to be when we start the season. 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:17.360 Yeah, So Dave Roberts really made it clear that they 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:21.200 need Sasaki. This is not a luxury to have him 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:24.840 in the starting rotation. There is actually a need with 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:27.200 the fact that River Ryan is not going to start 0:08:27.240 --> 0:08:29.880 the year with the Dodgers, He's in my opinion, going 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:33.240 to play the Ema shean role of being a second 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:37.480 half pitcher or maybe two months in after basically not 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:41.240 pitching last year and coming back from Tommy John surgery. 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:45.520 He's looked phenomenal in spring training so far, but still 0:08:45.559 --> 0:08:47.960 the Dodgers want him to get some starts under his 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:51.640 belt in the minor league season before they call him up. 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.720 So when you look at the Dodgers starting rotation as 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:58.640 the season begins and opening day is just two weeks 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.600 away on March twenty six, you're looking at Yamamoto, You're 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:07.200 looking at Otani, You're looking at Glass. Now, Emmittsian made 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:11.160 his first return back after being set back a couple 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:15.440 of days with the flu like symptoms. And then Roki Sasaki, 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:19.400 we're not even talking about Justin Robleski at this point 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:23.359 in time. I'm not sure where the Dodgers see Robleski 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.040 fitting in on the opening day roster. I know they're 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.000 strying to stretch him out in have ever since Gavin 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:32.280 Stone got hurt with the shoulder injury or setback with 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:36.480 the shoulder surgery. So Dave Roberts, as you heard right there, 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.000 he made it very clear the Dodgers are counting on 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:42.360 Sasaki and they need him to be good. They can't 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.200 just throw him out there and, similar to the beginning 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:47.920 of last season, have him only go three or four 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:50.880 innings and put their bullpen in a bad spot not 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:54.439 only for that game but for the subsequent games following. 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:59.640 So it's vital for Sasaki when he does make the 0:09:59.679 --> 0:10:03.360 star to go out there and be good, not just 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:06.920 go out there just to say he's a starter. They 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:11.760 need Roki Sasaki to give them solid, quality starts as 0:10:11.800 --> 0:10:14.440 they go into the season. Now, this was on the 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:18.200 backfields today. I want to see it on the main 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:22.360 Cactus League fields to be convinced that yeah, okay, he's 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:25.079 turned the corner this spring and is ready to go. 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:29.160 So that's the latest on the Dodgers starting rotation and 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:33.440 Dave Roberts making it very clear the importance of Roki 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:37.440 Sasaki as the Dodgers go into the season without Blake 0:10:37.520 --> 0:10:41.680 Snell and Gavin Stone. All right, coming up next on 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:45.280 Dodger Talk Rick Monday, We'll stop by and at the 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:49.679 bottom of the hour, Derek Carr, the former Raiders quarterback 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:52.880 now retired or is he? We'll get into all that 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:56.360 with Derek Carr and most importantly his love for the 0:10:56.400 --> 0:11:00.280 Dodgers as we continue until eight o'clock. Right here on 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:02.319 five seventy LA Sports. 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:03.920 Did you get big league this morning? 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:05.280 Hey leok who crashed the booth? 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:05.760 Right here? 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:06.559 Rick Monday. 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:08.600 Yeah, it's good to see you. Great to see you too. 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:10.840 Can you enjoy your days off? By the way, because 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:14.200 you left us alone here in the valley of the sun. 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:17.680 Well, I'd rather be here with you, because, as you say, 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:19.840 we check reality at the gate, and there was a 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:21.280 lot of reality last week. 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:23.199 You come back into town. All of a sudden. It 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:25.640 rained a little bit last night. We're talking very little. 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:28.280 It rained just enough to rearrange the dirt that was 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:29.680 on the car, and that was about it. 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:32.120 I was in the Dodger Clubhouse this morning and I'm 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:34.520 trying to go under the radar, Rick, but that's really tough, 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:36.560 and everybody noticed I was back. 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:39.559 Let me ask you this, because we're only sixteen days 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:43.760 away from opening day. Your impressions thus far, I've been saying, 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:45.240 is it quite? Frankly, if you look at it, I 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:48.320 think the fundamentals check that box off. It's still a 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.280 work in progress. You're always working on fundamentals in spring training. 0:11:51.640 --> 0:11:53.960 But I think from a fundamental standpoint, this has been 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:56.880 a very good spring up. Until this particular point. I'm 0:11:56.880 --> 0:11:59.280 talking about the cutoffs and relays. I'm talking about knowing 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:01.200 what to do with the baseball before it's to you. 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:06.040 We've seen two different rundowns have been executed perfectly. The 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:09.200 ball club. Kind of the tradition of what we've seen 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:12.640 offensively has been with the ball club that is selective 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:15.480 and patient at home plate. They have not been expanding 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.160 the strike zone, which is a good thing. Especially early, 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:21.959 things will become more and more difficult, I think for hitters, 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:24.800 as the pitchers and the quality of the pitchers they're 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:27.079 going to see get stretched out even more. I think 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.920 that's going to become more difficult as we get closer 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:34.120 to actual game days in the regular season. But to 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:37.960 this point, including the pitching, I think has been spot 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:41.080 on for this ball club to come into the season 0:12:41.679 --> 0:12:45.239 and get ready to not just defend the World Championship, 0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:47.680 but to capture another one. Rick. 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:50.640 I think to the way you described your teams and 0:12:50.679 --> 0:12:55.240 it resembles this one where they have fun, but everybody 0:12:55.280 --> 0:12:58.840 to a man came into camp ready for opening day 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:00.680 back in February, and. 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:02.959 How much of that goes back to last year? Because 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:05.640 I said last year, if you thought it was difficult 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:08.520 to win a World championship, it's even more difficult to 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:11.640 come back in and defend it and reach out. Obviously, 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:13.960 you have to get to the postseason begin with. Then 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:16.400 you have to play. You have to play good enough 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:19.240 baseball to advance to the biggest stage, that being the 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:23.720 World Series. That's not an easy road to really travel 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:27.199 down at all. It's not easy. And I agree with 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.600 what Mookie bed said last year. It irritated some people, 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:32.800 but he was very, very honest that every time the 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:35.480 Dodgers come into town, it's going to be that team's 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:39.440 World Series. That was not meant to demean anyone. It 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:42.760 was meant really to be realistic in the standpoint. Even 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:47.320 more so this year, teams will publicize, Hey, the defending 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:51.839 champions are coming into town. That's going to be the billboard, 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:55.200 that's going to be the sales force. In other ball clubs, 0:13:55.240 --> 0:13:56.920 it's going to be more and more difficult, and the 0:13:56.920 --> 0:13:59.559 focus of attention is going to be there, no offense 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:02.199 and butts. That being said, I agree with what you're 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.000 saying because in that locker room coming into spring trending, 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:09.960 those guys are driven. They've accomplished a lot, but their 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:11.080 plate's not full yet. 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:15.240 It feels like they're acting like they lost the World Series. 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:17.959 And you want that. You want that instead of somebody said, well, 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.760 you know, we'll have another mint jewelip, things will work out. Oh, 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:23.080 we'll be fine. No, this not the case. They're going 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:24.120 after it. Yeah. 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:28.960 Yeah, And certainly the Dodgers took everybody's best shot last year, 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:31.320 so this year is going to be no different, like 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:34.680 you said, And when you look at the Dodgers' top 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:39.080 to bottom, Kyle Tucker really shores up a hole that 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.320 was in the lineup last year. As great as the 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:45.040 Dodgers were, don't you feel like Tucker in between Otawni 0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:49.320 and Freeman and Betch just makes them that much more 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:51.000 of a powerful offense. 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:53.960 Yeah, because this was a strong offense to begin with. 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:58.120 But Kyle Tucker is also not a guy that you say, well, 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:00.920 don't worry about him, let's work to the other guys. No, 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:03.000 you're gonna have to worry about him. On top of it. 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:06.760 Now we're David where Dave Roberts has him put in 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:09.800 the lineup. As far as the positioning, we're gonna find out. 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.240 Freddy Freeman said he's been told he will batter the 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:14.640 number four spot when the season gets un away. He's 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:15.440 trying to get a bats. 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:15.560 Now. 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:17.280 We've seen him in the number two spot, we've seen 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:20.360 him three, we've seen him four. That's not the big issue, 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:24.760 but is there a soft spot in the Dodger lineup? Now? 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:27.360 Occasionally it's going to be. I think one other thing 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:30.920 we can talk about is the support staff, because you're 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:34.840 not going to have the same eight horses, the defensive players, 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:37.320 the same eight guys that are going to be healthy 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.520 the entirety of the season. You're not going to have 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:41.680 them all play one hundred and sixty two games during 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.880 the regular season. So what about the support staff. The 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.520 depth that we have seen so far in spring trending, 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:52.200 in my estimation, is exceptionally strong. The guys can play 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:56.960 multiple positions, for example, second base position. Right now, with 0:15:57.000 --> 0:16:00.200 Tommy Edmond on the men with the ankle surgery not 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:02.640 going to be ready for opening day, you've got three 0:16:02.640 --> 0:16:05.960 guys at second base that or say, hey, I'm kind 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:09.760 of earning it because they're playing very well. That's a 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:13.520 good situation to really be involved with because you have 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:16.200 support staff that's going to be there. It's going to 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.440 be more than a twenty six man roster that's going 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:20.800 to hopefully get to the World Series and maybe hopefully 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:23.800 win another World Championship. It is going to take the 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:27.120 entire forty man roster. We saw that over the last 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:29.560 two years. There are going to be injuries. There's going 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:32.000 to be guys that need a little rest here and there. 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:34.600 You go into this whole thing. This is an organization. 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.120 It's not just twenty six guys on the team. He 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:37.680 had no doubt. 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:40.280 Rick Monday is our guest, and he talked about me 0:16:40.400 --> 0:16:44.480 taking a week off. Rick Monday's been busy NonStop since 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:47.480 Game seven of the World Series. And this year is 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:50.640 a special year for Rick Monday and the country because 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:54.280 it's the fiftieth anniversary of you saving the flag. And 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:56.600 I feel like you may have had as busy of 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:59.920 an off season as any of these World champion Dodgers. 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:02.560 Had, I said waias my wife Barbara and I have 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:04.400 been very busy, and it's going to pick up again. 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:10.040 In May. We will go back to Cooperstown to Hall 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:12.280 of Fame. We're going to have something there. We'll take 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:14.440 the flag back there with us, and then go back 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:19.320 again in July. The Hall of Fame inductions and the 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:22.040 celebration right there. So it's going to be a busy deal. 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:27.240 I'm proud of the fact that it has been recognized, 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:30.159 not from what I did recognize, but I think the 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:33.280 patriotism in the fact that this is our two hundred 0:17:33.280 --> 0:17:35.440 and fiftieth anniversary that's coming up. That happens to be 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.920 the fiftieth anniversary of the flag incint it took place. 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:41.359 But you know how I feel about the fact, have 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.480 you been in the Marine Corps reserves for six years? 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:46.320 I believe strongly in this country, and I believe very 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:50.680 strongly in our military and their families. Their families cannot 0:17:50.680 --> 0:17:53.560 be overlooked, either because they go through a lot in 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:56.520 deployment and also the amount of time that our military 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:59.000 has to put in. I think we should all be 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:01.600 very proud. And this is a time that is kind 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:04.800 of challenging for us and people around the world. It's 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:07.760 a wonderful time for us all to kind of join 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:10.040 arms or join hands and move forward. Now I don't 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:12.600 mean to sound corny about it at all. This is 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:14.520 a great game of baseball. One of the things that's 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:16.800 really nice is at Dodger Stadium every night, We've got 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:19.960 fifty thousand people to come in, and it's like a 0:18:20.040 --> 0:18:23.600 chorus of Hey, let's watch this great game of baseball, 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:26.600 and hopefully we all kind of bond a little bit together, 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:28.640 because we're going to need that as we go along. 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:31.480 It's been two hundred and fifty years. What is it 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.280 going to be in year five hundred from now? You know, 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:37.280 we're only a snippet and the time capsule, and we 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:39.600 need to make sure that we capture things very well 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:41.600 for our portion of that time capsule. 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:44.440 How does it make you feel that the Baseball Hall 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:48.440 of Fame wants to honor and celebrate the great play 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:50.360 Rick Monday made fifty years ago? 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:52.760 I happen to be close enough to do something about it, 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:56.879 and I still get letters about it every week, people 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:59.640 that were not even born at that particular time. I'm 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:02.800 happy to have been part of it. You know. I 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:07.240 just it's not difficult to do what you think is right, 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:09.800 And fifty years ago I thought that it was right 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:13.440 to not have that stand by and watch what represents 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:15.320 the rights and freedoms for all of us. Now, how 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:17.800 we handle that and protect that, that's up to us. 0:19:18.760 --> 0:19:20.840 But to protect the rights and freedoms. There's a lot 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:24.600 of people, David Bassey, that had played the ultimate price 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:26.879 that they had paid in order to protect those rights 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:29.560 and freedoms. Let me tell you a quick story. At 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:31.800 Walter Reed Army Medical Center a number of years ago, 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:33.520 my wife, Barbary and I were there and we brought 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:36.679 the flag with us, and we happen to be with 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:42.480 the physician that was just absolutely marvelous right there at 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:45.000 the hospital, and we met a young lieutenant that had 0:19:45.000 --> 0:19:48.600 been injured only about eight days before we were there 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:51.000 and he was airlifted and was back and he was 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:54.679 doing well. But we went and we were able to 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:56.720 meet him and talk to him and he said, I 0:19:56.800 --> 0:19:58.680 understand you have the flag that you took away from 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:01.840 those individuals number of years ago with you. He said yes, 0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:03.560 And Barbara, he said, would you like to have a 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:06.520 photo taken us? Yes? I would. And about that time 0:20:07.680 --> 0:20:09.840 a piece of shrapnel began to come up on his 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:12.200 hand and he said to my wife, Barbara, you need 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:13.840 to take this flag. You need to take this flag. 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:17.480 And he said, lieutenant, no, it's fine. If you happen 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:19.000 to bleed on it. He goes, no, ma'am, it's not 0:20:20.640 --> 0:20:23.560 I will die protecting the rights and freedoms of that flag. 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:26.000 I will not bleed on it. And he handed the 0:20:26.000 --> 0:20:29.600 flag back. To this day, I tell the story and 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:32.879 I begin to tear up, because that's the attitude of 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:35.760 our military, and we're very thankful for each and every 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:38.160 one of them to protect us. Whether we see it, 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:40.479 we better appreciate it and move forward. 0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:45.040 Have you ever thought, these many years later that God 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:48.440 puts you in that position because you were the right 0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:51.720 guy at the right time and the right guy to 0:20:51.840 --> 0:20:52.600 keep this going. 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:56.520 I just happened to be there. On a lighter side 0:20:56.520 --> 0:20:58.920 of it. I was also saying, tell you know, the 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:02.320 last thing I wanted to do, was in retrospect, was 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:04.119 to stand there and watch them burn the flag and 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:06.439 then have one of my former drill instructors from the 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.359 Marine Corps come up and say, Marine, why did you 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:11.679 stand there and let them do that? That was the 0:21:11.720 --> 0:21:13.960 one thing that woke me up in a cold sweat 0:21:13.960 --> 0:21:18.119 one night. What would have happened if, well, we have 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:21.760 that flag and very proudly be able to do some 0:21:21.840 --> 0:21:25.160